Greenpeace blockades Batangas oil refinery: ‘Stop burning our future’

Greenpeace members at Shell refinery in Batangas. Photo by Greenpeace

MANILA, Philippines — Environmental activists formed Friday a blockade at an oil refinery in Batangas, pressing the company to show accountability for their role in the climate crisis.

Representatives from climate-impacted communities and activists from the environmental organization Greenpeace blockaded the entrance to Shell’s refinery in Batangas.

On top of one of the facilities’s silos, the activists unfurled a banner that read: “Shell, stop burning our future.”

“This peaceful protest is a bold challenge to fossil fuel companies to show accountability for their role in the climate crisis heed the call of climate-impacted communities for justice,” Greenpeace said in a statement.

Shell, meanwhile, said it respects their protest and asked them to keep safety in mind.

“Shell fully acknowledges the right of Greenpeace and others to express their point of view. We only ask that they do so with their safety and the safety of others, including our staff, our partners’ personnel and customers, in mind,” Shell told INQUIRER.net in a text message.

The protest coincided with the global protest on climate change called “Global Climate Strike” taking place from September 20 to 27.

Other local organizations who have pledged to join the global protest are the Youth for Strike Climate Philippines, Zero Waste Pilipinas, Ilocos Norte Movement against Plastic Pollution and Kidlikasan. /muf

WATCH: Greenpeace members at Shell refinery ni Batangas. (Video by Greenpeace) pic.twitter.com/n3cYuMY9JD

— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) September 20, 2019